


The Sentinel

by ainamclane



Series: Little Black Dress RT Challenge [22]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:27:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7661341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainamclane/pseuds/ainamclane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John didn’t know what woke him but now he was up and had an uneasy feeling down in his belly that something was wrong. Maybe it came from that weird dream he had about a panther in the jungle somewhere before that dream had changed and he chased the same panther through the city hallways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sentinel

**Author's Note:**

> yep, very original title....sorry about that but i felt nothing else much fit.

John didn’t know what woke him but now he was up and had an uneasy feeling down in his belly that something was wrong. Maybe it came from that weird dream he had about a panther in the jungle somewhere before that dream had changed and he chased the same panther through the city hallways.

Rubbing his eyes, John stood to get dressed. Weird dream aside, he still felt a wrongness in his body and his gut told him to walk around the city until he was sure no panther was anywhere in it.

Making his ways through the familiar hallways, John greeted the guards on duty who looked at him a bit strange but reported that they hadn’t seen anything and all seemed quiet. John walked on then, making his way to Elizabeth’s quarters. Walking past he watched another pair of the night shift making their rounds and taking care of the civilians.

Next on John’s list was McKay. He had claimed a room further away from the others which was bigger to store more ancient devices he had been working on and that room was pretty much next to a transporter so if he was needed at odd hours in the night it would be a short way.

John arrived in the transporter outside Rodney’s room and the doors opened in a hurry to let him out. A scream from Rodney pierced the nightly stillness around him and he hurried towards the door, already wide open to let him pass quickly and searching for Rodney who looked horrible.

In quick strides John was next to Rodney, crouching down and watching the scientist curled in on himself, naked on the floor and his hands covering his ears while he desperately tried to also cover his eyes. Another scream tore from him and John understood: “Its too bright! God, the lights hurt!”

Quickly thinking off at the lights, John reached out to touch Rodney carefully only for him to yell out in pain: “Don’t hit me! God, your heart is too loud! You smell of sleep and its making me nauseous. Please, go,…”

John pretty much gaped at him: “Rodney?” he whispered only for Rodney to flinch at the sound: “Stop yelling at me!” he replied and he was trying to open his eyes in the dark and flinched again: “Still too bright.”

“The lights are off, Rodney,” John whispered even quieter than before and then it hit him, just before he reached for his headset to call a med team. Years ago he had read a fictional book from a guy who was a cop and had heightened abilities. The Sentinel, as the book had stated was a piece of fiction. At least that was what the author said. The book had sold out in record time back then and John had gotten it as a present from Nancy shortly before they divorced and he shipped out to Afghanistan.

Trying to recall what the Sentinel’s friend did in the book, he tried it: “Rodney, I know it must hurt but if you’ll listen carefully and try your best, I’ll do everything to help you.”

Rodney nodded, still holding on to his ears: “Just make it go away! I can’t stand hearing Chuck flirting with the marines.”

John was surprised at that because if Rodney could hear that it meant he had a really enhanced hearing. The gateroom was at least half a mile away and Atlantis had pretty thick and soundproof walls. Not to mention all the other sounds in between the gateroom and Rodney’s room.

“I need you to calm down, Rodney. Try focusing on my breath, breathe with me and listen to my heartbeat or the waves outside.”

Rodney nodded shakily and relaxed a bit more. John really wanted to touch Rodney now but he was afraid his touch would hurt. The low light in the room made Rodney’s skin look sore. Rashes all over his naked back and sides. Pretty much everywhere.

When Rodney had calmed down further, John sighed in relief: “Okay, good,” he barely whispered, knowing Rodney could hear him: “I need you to concentrate on your instinct. It will tell you your senses are all over the place. Spiking. I need you to imagine your favorite dial instrument and give each of your senses one of this dial. Label them correctly. Feel the dials being the right one.”

Rodney was about to give a weak protest but John brushed his finger lightly over Rodney’s hair on his arm and caused a pretty instant reaction: “See? Now please do as I told you to.”

John didn’t know how long they sat there before Rodney replied: “I have them. I see them clearly. God, they’re all set on maximum.”

John winced slightly in sympathy: “Okay, then bring each sense down to normal. Dial it down.”

An hour passed before Rodney tried to open his eyes carefully and sighing in relieve when it didn’t hurt anymore. John carefully reached out to touch Rodney comfortingly and nodded when Rodney didn’t finch: “All your senses okay now?”

“Yes, thank you,” Rodney replied. Exhaustion was written across his face and John tried helping him up and guided him towards the bed: “You need to sleep now.”

“But, that’s when it started, earlier…” Rodney replied weakly and then frowned when he realized he was naked: “Why is my skin so red?”

John shrugged helplessly: “Maybe its because your cloths hurt?”

Rodney nodded: “Right. Now, what the hell am I going to do!? What the hell is wrong with me? Did one of the chemists think its funny to mess with substances?”

“I think its something else,” John said and sat down next to Rodney on the bed: “I’ve read a book years ago on someone pretty much with the same problem. It happened to him when he had been isolated. Maybe you being in quarantine had the same effect and your senses came online.”

Rodney frowned: “You know, I think I remember being a kid and smelling our dinner all the way from school to home.”

“So your senses were suppressed. Now emerging again and giving you trouble.” John nodded: “I think you should see Carson tomorrow.”

“Yes, after I slept a while.”

John watched Rodney settle for the night and left. The uneasiness in his gut had vanished.

~+~

When Rodney woke the next morning, he winced slightly when his skin and its rashes came into contact with soap. He cursed slightly, remembering John helping him the night before and knowing that he would have to talk to Sheppard about it. But first he needed to get some food in or he’d collapse of hyperglycemia sooner than he liked. Screaming and being in pain had that tendency and Rodney would very well live without passing out.

His cloths were scratching him and he winced, imagining the dials in his head and dialing touch down another few notches. Thankfully he was a genius and labeling his dial had been easy. He imagined a digital display where he could type in the percentages of his senses. Liking numbers and finding them soothing, it was natural. Last night they had been about 100% and now they were at about 40% which was normal for humans. At least normal to him before he rediscovered his senses. Touch was down to 20% in the hopes to avoid further rashes on his skin.

Walking towards the mess, Rodney dialed up his smell a bit and smiled when he realized they had fresh bacon. Probably due to trading for those pig like creatures that looked like buffalos. Walking quickly and gathering his tray, Rodney sighed when the faint hint of lemon reached him. Great. He didn’t want an allergic episode right now.

“Hey Rodney,” John greeted him in a slightly lower voice than normal and Rodney was thankful for that. Somehow his hearing had tuned in to Sheppard immediately anyways. And huh, he had been following John walking into the room with his other senses. The sound of his heart and steps, the smell of his body. It was strange in a way but Rodney figured John had been there last night and ordered him to use his senses on him to keep calm.

“Major,” Rodney replied easily and then indicated an apple John took: “Avoid that one if you don’t like worms in your food.”

John raised an eyebrow and nodded, taking another one: “How is it going with your senses?”

Rodney shrugged: “Okay I guess. Thanks to you.” They walked towards their usual table, Ford and Teyla still absent: “I need to talk to Carson though. I have a rash and I might go into allergic shock due to smelling lemon.”

“Wait, was that smell close to you or out of harms way?”

“How should I know? Maybe my senses can detect it earlier but that’s no good if my body decides I’m suddenly highly affected as well. Lets hope that I need actual exposure.” Rodney replied with a frown and started eating.

John nodded: “I hope we can avoid allergic shocks from now on.” He dug into his breakfast as well: “Look, I am glad you’re better but we need to figure out what to do now. It was pure luck I could help you last night.”

“About that, how did you know what to do?” Rodney frowned and focused his smell on Sheppard instead of that scientist a few tables over with way too much perfume.

“I read a book once. The author claimed it to be fictional. Now I think it was a cover up.” John shrugged: “It was pretty entertaining at the time and when you described what you felt I knew it was right out of that book. The author had claimed it was fiction but he studied anthropology for years and wanted that to be his dissertation.”

Rodney frowned and nodded: “Too bad we’re cut off from Earth for Jackson to do some research. It might have helped me understand why and what is happening to me.”

“You’re a Sentinel. As far as I know there are only two sentinels. That guy from the book and you. All your senses are heightened and probably were when you were a kid?”

“Yes, I remember a few things that seemed illogical at the time. My parents told me to stop telling lies about things I heard the neighbors talk about and all that.” Rodney shrugged: “I seem to have lost the ability after that.”

John nodded thoughtful: “Well, that means you didn’t want those senses and somehow turned them off.”

“But why do I get them now?”

“We’re isolated. In the book, or field study, the guy was living with a tribe in the jungle. First of being isolated. You were cut off from us when you had that personal shield.”

Rodney frowned again and shrugged: “Whatever, I don’t have time for this. And as long as it won’t happen again, I’ll be fine.”

“The book mentioned that you need a Guide. Someone to watch out for sensory spikes and meditations for the spiritual part.”

“Spiritual part?” Rodney asked with a frown: “You know how trying to mediate with Teyla goes.”

“Well, let’s leave that for your Guide.”

“Again, what Guide? I don’t need a babysitter and really, what’s that Guide supposed to do to get me out of spikes?” Rodney asked and shook his head.

“Beats me,” John replied and looked at Rodney’s arm where the sleeve jacked seemed to cause Rodney’s skin some more rashes: “You should go and se Carson with that.”

“Yeah, I was planning on it. I just don’t know how to explain them.”

“Tell him the truth. Maybe its important to know in case something happened?” John shrugged: “He might be your Guide. You’re pretty good friends after all.”

“Is it a requirement for my Guide to be a friend? What if I cannot stand my Guide?”

“You keep asking questions I cannot answer, McKay. We need to see how this works out,” John sighed and reached out to touch Rodney’s hand: “Go see Carson and the rest will sort itself out.”

Rodney pretty much relaxed on the contact and agreed: “Okay, yes. Thank you Major.”

Sheppard grinned at him before leaving.

~*~

“Ah, Rodney,” Carson greeted him with a smile and indicated a pot: “I just made-“

“Arabic coffee. The last if I’m not mistaken,” Rodney said and sniffed the air: “Nice blend, too.”

“Care to explain to me how you know that?”

“It’s coffee. I can smell it,” Rodney said and a second later realized his mistake: “Oh crap. I’m not supposed to smell that from here through a closed door.”

Carson eyed him funny: “Aye, you aren’t. So, why are you here?”

Indicating Carson’s coffee room, they made their way over there and Carson handed Rodney a freshly brewed mug. Taking some himself though he really preferred tea.

“Last night, I woke up. The unusual part about it is that I dreamed of being a panther that ran through the city and sniffing stuff, fleeing from someone chasing me. When I woke up, I could smell everything. Like, Radek’s moonshine three hallways away, or a pair of old socks from my mission to PX5-576. I shouldn’t be able to smell that. Then next I was in pain, my skin being on fire and hurting. Then the sounds of the ocean were so loud that I thought my ears must burst. I could hear every heartbeat in the city and when Sheppard walked in, it hurt. He was barely whispering but it hurt. And I can’t even tell you how awful the light was though my room was completely dark. And I could taste my shampoo on my tongue though I only breathed in the air.”

Carson gaped at Rodney: “So how come you’re not in pain now?”

“Sheppard apparently read a book some years ago about a guy being a Sentinel. Having heightened senses and the book was written in his Guide’s POV. Stating about dialing the senses down at will. He talked me through it.” Rodney said and swallowed the coffee, having increased the taste to fully absorb the rich aroma of the coffee. The smell was wonderful as well and mingling with his taste, creating a whole bunch of sensations in his brain. It was amazing and wonderful-

“McKay!” Sheppard yelled and Rodney blinked up at him, Carson hovering besides him, being helpless. Sheppard’s warm fingers were holding his and his voice was soothing: “That’s it Rodney.”

“Uh, what just happened?” Rodney asked with a frown and looked at where the coffee had been.

Sheppard shrugged: “A zone out. It happens when you focus on one or two senses too much. I used your other senses to get you out of it.”

“Something else from that book?” Carson asked and when John nodded, Rodney was incredibly relieved to have someone with any knowledge to what was happening to him. If John hadn’t read that book, he wondered what would have happened last night.

“That should be about it and surprises though. Nothing else is supposed to happen,” John said: “Oh, besides some reactions to pain meds and as you might see, soap.”

“See on what?” Carson asked and Rodney frowned: “Oh right, that’s why I came to you in the first place,” Rodney answered and showed him the rash on his skin: “It’s pretty much everywhere from where my cloths are covering me.”

Carson quickly examined the skin and frowned: “Okay, I’ll get the chemists to make you some special soap and shampoo. Maybe we also need washing powder for your sheets. Then I’d like to make a test to know what you can do with your senses.”

“Yeah, I’m interested in getting to know my limits as well,” Rodney nodded: “But can we please not tell anyone about this?”

“We’ll do our best but if they need to know,” John started and Carson nodded. Rodney shrugged: “Until then, fine.”

~+~

“You did well on the tests,” John said and walked with Rodney to the mess: “If you train them, you might make the others jealous by working better than their scanners.”

Rodney smirked: “Yeah, I can feel the currents and smell enemies.”

“Especially the Wraith with their smell,” John nodded and wrinkled his nose: “But we also need to practice with explosives and radiation. Might get important if you can warn us about those things. In advance not that we have another dangerous situation at our hands.”

“I’m not your sniff dog!” Rodney protested but knew it was important for his own survival that the others knew about traps.

John grinned: “Nope, you’re better than any advanced warning system and animals could be. Plus, you’re a genius.”

Rodney smirked brightly: “And don’t you forget that!”

~*~

It was their first mission with Rodney’s senses that they had to stumble across a planet that was struck by earthquakes all the time. John cursed slightly when Rodney went pale: “Earthquake coming up!”

Teyla turned to look at Rodney surprised and Ford looked around them to see if they were in danger of falling things. When he saw nothing, he turned to Rodney and was surprised to see no scanner near his hands. Sheppard was close to Rodney, touching his arm carefully and speaking to Rodney: “C’mon McKay, don’t zone out now.”

“I won’t,” Rodney replied and shook his head: “It’s gonna be a massive earthquake. We should hide inside the jumper.”

“Will we make it back to it in time?” Ford asked and watched as McKay seemed to concentrate.

“Yes, it was the first quakes. Barely notable on the Richter scale but enough to indicate more coming,” Rodney nodded and turned to Sheppard: “The ground starts to rumble as well. Its getting louder.”

“Dial your hearing back to normal then. And your touch as well. You cannot be irritated by walking back to the jumper,” Sheppard replied quietly before they made their way back to the Jumper.

They barely reached the Jumper when the quake reached them and Sheppard lifted the Jumper into the air, engaging the autopilot to check on Rodney: “McKay?”

“I’m good. All normal. Its still pretty distracting not to turn in on the sound…” Rodney shrugged.

Teyla looked at Rodney: “How did you sense this?” Ford looked pretty interested as well.

John looked at Rodney and shrugged: “Might not hurt if they know?”

Rodney frowned: “Okay, fine! I have heightened senses. Meaning I can smell your socks from five miles against the wind, listen to your heart rate increasing which is good for a lie detector, can see things far away and feel things you won’t feel for another week.”

Teyla smiled: “That sounds helpful.”

“If you don’t curl up in pain when hearing a loud noise or when the light is too bright though the lights are off. Oh not to forget the rashes I get for using the normal soap.” Rodney snarled back.

John sighed: “It wasn’t pretty. I found him like that and if we can avoid it, the better. We can use our voice to distract him if he zoned on sight or touch. Stuff like that could be important if he zones.”

“How do you know so much?” Teyla asked and smiled softly: “Is it common on Earth?”

“No, I just read a book a few years ago. I thought it was fiction until Rodney described the exact symptoms.”

“And now you’re the only expert we have access to?” Aiden asked and grinned: “Well, looks like you’re the first to go to when things get hairy.”

“The point is, Lieutenant, that I won’t be around in every situation, especially when we’re off world and may be kidnapped, or worse, dead.” John replied and shrugged: “Just so you know.”

“We should discuss more things later on, John.” Teyla said and looked at Rodney. 

“We are currently looking for Rodney’s Guide,” John said and looked at both teammates before explaining what was going on with the guide thing.

Teyla grinned: “Looks like John is Rodney’s Guide,” she said to Aiden before adding: “For the meditation part, I’d be glad to help you both.”

“I’m not a Guide!”, John said and winced a second later when Rodney looked like he’d been punched. John then looked at Rodney: “I’d be happy to be your Guide, but I don’t think I am. You could do better.”

“Did you not say you were able to get Rodney out of a zone out and helped him settle down that first night?” Teyla asked and Ford nodded in agreement: “I’d say you are his Guide. We should check if Rodney is tuned to your heartbeat or something.”

Rodney gaped suddenly: “Oh my God you’re right!!”

Sheppard sat up straighter: “What?”

“That morning in the mess,” Rodney said and waved his hands around: “I realized I was tracking your heart until you were close and talked to me. I never stopped after you told me to listen to your heart that first moment.”

Sheppard let that sink in for a moment before nodding: “Okay, if you think I am your Guide, then we’ll get through this. I’ll try my best.”

Rodney smiled happily.

~*~

“I sense radiation,” Rodney said and turned to Teyla, frowning.

“Dangerous enough to make me worry,” Rodney answered and shrugged: “They might be experimenting with it so I suggest we should leave.”

“Dr Weir wanted to trade for food,” Teyla replied neutrally: “Can we not do that?”

John shook his head a bit but it was Ford who answered: “Radiation can alter the basic elements in the food as well and lead to mutations and dangerous failure of organs.”

“Then should we not warn them?” Teyla asked carefully.

John sighed: “We cannot help them just like that, Teyla. It is dangerous for us to be here and we cannot risk exposing anyone with knowledge how to work around it close.”

Teyla seemed pissed for a moment before nodding: “I understand.”

“They’re approaching. And they are talking on radios,” Rodney said and started typing on his scanner: “I’ll try to hijack their signal and listen for anything hinky going on.”

“Good,” John said and looked at Teyla: “I’m sorry.”

She smiled tightly and then they focused on the whole negotiation part. Rodney couldn’t resist after a while and sneaking away was fun until he was down in the bunker with John by his side and the radiation literally burning his nerves.

He felt like getting sick any second and it wasn’t that good for a while. Rodney was glad being back in the city and showering long and thorough. His skin had started reacting to the radiation and wasn’t impressed by Carson’s fussing over him but not giving him medications since the radiation was pretty small.

John knocked on his door a while later and Rodney yelled at him to enter. They had sort of started a ritual with Teyla leading a meditation for them and John was first to appear. Rodney stepped out of his shower and over to his dresser when John gasped: “Rodney, your back!”

Oh right, Rodney had forgotten about his rash there: “Yeah, well. It wasn’t the best to spend the afternoon in a radiation-tainted environment. No matter how small the exposure had been, it was enough. Like the lemon in the mess last week caused me rashes and sneezing.”

“Did Carson see this?” a soft touch was on his back next to his rash and Rodney sighed: “Yes he did.” and Rodney indicated a bottle of Aloe Vera Carson had ordered from the botanists: “Will you help?”

“I’m your Guide, of course I will,” John said and started rubbing the substance in. Teyla arrived that moment and smiled before frowning: “Is that from the poisoning?”

“Rodney said it is,” John replied: “But it could be anything from today as well. Stress can do that and his trying to keep an eye on me could do the same.”

Teyla smiled: “Very well. Once you are comfortable, we will try to meditate. If your skin itches, meditating will be impossible.”

Rodney nodded: “Yes, I know. Its soothing already.”

“Will we be able to go deeper into the meditation today?” John asked and wondered if he would see the panther and wolf from his dreams again. Maybe the reoccurring dream was his spiritual part of this Guide thing. The book had mentioned a spiritual connection between Guide and Sentinel that could come forward in saving a life. Or in guiding both in life changing situations.

Teyla nodded: “Yes, if Rodney’s itching won’t prevent you from it.”

Rodney snorted: “I’ll dial it down. I know its not good during meditation due to not feeling my legs starting to fall asleep but we need this.”

“You know we can use a more comfortable position, right?” John asked and indicated Rodney’s bed: “Lying down shouldn’t be a problem.”

Teyla nodded: “Yes, you can do that. Sitting upright usually centers you better and being good for your breathing.”

They started in on meditating soon after. John was sitting on Rodney’s bed as well and taking calm breaths. They fell into their dream state quickly. Practicing weeks made them relax quicker and going deeper was possible as well. John followed his panther in the city hallways until he met a wolf, a wolf that had been followed by Rodney.

It was the first time they actually saw each other in their spiritual world and actually interacted. It was then that John knew without a doubt he was Rodney’s Guide. Had been the moment he woke from the dream the first night and literally feeling Rodney’s distress. 

“I wonder if you would have been there for me otherwise. I mean like if we never had met before…” Rodney in the dream said and John thought about it for a moment: “I would have felt your distress anyways but I doubt I could have found you.”

“Maybe the Ancients did intervene this time?” Rodney asked with a frown and followed their spirit animals that were heading into a direction. The hallways looked unfamiliar to both of them.

John indicated the way and followed quickly: “We haven’t been in those towers yet, have we?”

“No, we stopped after coming face to face with the nanites,” Rodney agreed and together they followed the animals.

Ending in a circular room, they stood in the dark, not being able to interact anymore because they were jolted back into their bodies in front of Teyla who looked at them worriedly: “Are you all right?”

“Yes, we were just…”

“Dismissed from our own spirit walk…” John finished Rodney’s sentence before standing slowly and reaching for his gun, checking it through: “I think we need to go there right now.”

Rodney nodded: “Yes, but we need to tell the control room first.”

“Going where?” Teyla asked and rose to her feet as well: “Shall I join you?”

“No, I think Rodney and I need to go alone,” John said and shrugged: “The dream indicated that.”

Teyla nodded and watched them pack their belongings before leaving. 

~*~

Walking through the deserted hallways was somewhat creepy since they didn’t light up like normal. John frowned but Rodney soon smelled a burnt crystal in a wall, which prevented the energy of their generators to spread out a bit.

“I can see enough for now,” Rodney said after a moment and reaching for John’s arm, leading him through the dark: “Watch your step here,” Rodney said and helped John over a small step. The purpose was really unclear to Rodney because nothing was around for another few steps. Maybe it actually served as a trip hazard to alarm others to an approach of a person.

They entered the room and Rodney stopped them. The door slid shut behind them with a quiet whoosh before the light started to come on gradually. It was a sentinel friendly environment.

“This room is made for me,” Rodney told John his discovering: “It smells clean, the sound is swallowed up, the light frequency is just perfect, not like those other lights and it feels clean, not like the rest of the city had when we arrived and it was covered in dust.”

John looked at him surprised and indicated a console to one side: “What do you think?”

Rodney shrugged and nodded then before stepping closer to the console. Immediately a screen started up with a recording of an Ancient. Thank god not a holographic program or the generators would have blown out.

“Welcome to the Sentinel and Guide Center of Atlantis. This room is specifically designed for all purposes of a Sentinel and Guide and all other are prevented from entering this room. In case why you’re wondering about there not being a hologram, it is Sentinel friendlier not to have it around. People tend to activate it to talk to you and my senses found it irritating.”

Another screen activated itself and a map was shown: “Since the subroutines of this room recognize you as a new Sentinel and a new Guide, I have a list for you with Sentinel friendly rooms. The ones green indicate occupation and the red ones are available. Orange ones are the preferred rooms due to accessibility, size and balcony. Please check with your superiors for choosing a suitable room.”

Rodney smirked: “Have you heard? Bigger room and all that!” he rolled on his feet in excitement and John snorted: “I’m more worried about there being an actual Center for you,…us?”

“Us, since I doubt you would have been able to enter unless you are a Guide. I didn’t mention that on the way but we were scanned,” Rodney said and frowned, turning back to the screen as the instructor continued:

“Each room has a separate room for your Guide if you should choose to remain friends. I am afraid it is necessary for you to share quarters in case of sensory spikes.”

“Remain friends?” John asked with a frown and the instructor reacted to John’s question: “Sentinel and Guide bonds are usually ending in a relationship since it is necessary for the Sentinel to focus his or her senses on their Guide. If the Guide is in a relationship with someone else, it might proof difficult for the Sentinel to balance correctly. Of course, it is possible.

“A Sentinel might have more difficulties in having a partner outside their Guide since intimacy with anyone can cause severe zone outs. Of course, this is also what happens most times but is not always the norm.”

Rodney looked at John and gaped, blushing nicely: “Okay, that’s something we’ll need to talk about later.” John nodded tightly.

The hologram changed again and showed two life signs: “Currently, you are the only Sentinel and the only Guide within this City. Furthermore, you are a match.”

“What does that mean?” Rodney asked and looked at John who shrugged. The hologram screen indicated another console somewhere to the right: “This means you need to bond in order to work correctly. The scans indicated that you are not bonded yet but have reached the mental level necessary to archive such a state.”

“This bonding, what does that change?” John asked and the screen-hologram’s eyes looked at him.

“The bond will let the Guide feel the distress in a Sentinel. Meaning he can prevent a zone out before it actually happens because they can feel it. The bond may also give the Guide special abilities similar to the Ascended. The Sentinel will also achieve some abilities but smaller since they need to focus more on their senses than abilities.”

“Well, that sounds interesting. If those abilities help against the Wraith, I’m glad but if not?” Rodney said and walked over to inspect the console that had lit up. He checked it with his senses first: “This bonding, how exactly does that work?”

“You will be connected on a telepathic level. It is completely mental and if you are worried, I will let a console run a monitor for your health data. It is reversible if necessary but it will be uncomfortable. Your doctor Beckett will know what to do.”

“Wait, what!? You’re sentient?! You have access to our data?” Rodney frowned and the hologram shifted before nodding: “Yes, I have access to the main frame and get my data from there. Completely sentient, I am not. I can do a few things in this room but not outside it. The data I can alter is recorded in its original status as well. I cannot overwrite files and alter systems.”

Rodney smiled: “Well, it would have been nice to have someone around to help us decipher a few systems.”

“I can imagine ten thousand years can do that,” the program joked: “You do run programs on closed servers. If you do not trust me, you could run me there and let me help you.”

“And why would you do that?” John asked and Rodney rolled his eye.

“I am programmed to help any Sentinel or Guide who needs assistance. Since you are the only ones I can detect, my loyalty goes to you.” The program replied and then said: “Call me Ethan.”

Rodney laughed and John snorted before shaking his head: “Better than Steve or Bob.”

The program seemed to not understand that because it ignored them: “May I ask why so few with the gene and the Sentinel genome are here?”

“Maybe evolution?” John asked and shrugged: “Its not like everyone goes out and announces their status or knows about it.”

The program seemed to calculate something because Rodney indicated a screen that showed a generations chart and pretty much Mendelian genetics but a bit more advanced than those. Suddenly, the program ended with barely a dozen blinking dots.

Rodney gasped: “Oh my God,”

John looked just as stricken and winced: “So that’s the Sentinel and Guide population on Earth?”

Ethan replied: “This is the population estimated by my genetic system and over about ten thousand years. Including the average children, the likelihood of diseases and other recordings the Outpost on Earth gathered.” The graph changed: “This is the estimated population of Sentinels.”

The graph showed fifty-six Sentinels within the Milky Way and Pegasus. The map changed then and forty-eight Guides showed up: “The numbers are shocking,”

Rodney nodded and sat down heavily on a bench that suddenly appeared from the floor. John looked pale and sat down next to him: “So we can count that book-source as one pair. Which means we have fifty pairs, if they found their match.”

“My creator will watch out for every Sentinel and Guide alive within the galaxies,” the hologram said and Rodney finally took a moment to take the Sentinel-program in. He had dark short hair, blue eyes and was lean, muscular and pretty strong looking. He kind of reminded Rodney of what John and his kids would look like if mixed in a genetic pool.

“Don’t hope for things we cannot know, Ethan,” a second voice appeared and the screen showed another person: “I’m his Guide, and apparently your guiding program as well,” the guy said. He had grey-green eyes and blond short hair. It looked like a military cut to John.

Rodney’s eyes grew big: “Two sentient programs that interact!? This is better than any birthday cake I could get!”

John chuckled and reached out to touch Rodney: “We’ll come back with portable hard drives later so you can copy them to carry with us.”

“I’ll also check their systems further to see if they can help everyone here,” Rodney nodded: “Of course, without anyone knowing about us being Sentinel and Guide.”

The holograms frowned at one another: “Why would you keep this quiet?”

John sighed: “We could end as lab rats or being bonded could interfere with our jobs.”

“My Guide is looking through loopholes from what you call SGC and IOA now,” Ethan said and indicated the console for bonding: “The sooner you do this, the better it would be for you.”

“Well, if we can get some sleep then, because it’s the middle of the night,” Rodney said, waving his hands around and walking back over to the console: “How do we do this?”

John looked worried for a moment before nodded to himself and getting closer as well. The Ethan-hologram instructed: “Place your hands on the console and just think activate. That’s about it. After sleeping, you will feel the change.”

Rodney placed his hands on the console, watching it react and rant medical data at him. When John joined his hands on the thing, it added his medicals as well: “Any doubts you may have, do not worry. This whole thing was tested over thousand years and is not like other things you encountered here before.”

John nodded at Rodney: “I trust them. Its like an instinct.”

Rodney thought on and felt a slight tingle spreading through him. A faint light washed over them as well before it stopped.

“Will and I will be pleased to see you coming back soon,” Ethan said and looked at his Guide.

The Guide nodded and then flashed a few paragraphs on the screen: “There are a few loopholes. Since this could be considered an alien ritual you had to partake in, it is acceptable by your military.”

John frowned: “You mean if we were to…” he indicated with his hand and Rodney rolled his eyes: “have sex,” Rodney said and huffed irritated: “yes, you’d be protected.”

“Huh, okay,” John nodded and the frowned: “This place is called Sentinel Guide Center, right? SGC?”

Rodney chuckled at that: “Its our secret code now.”

John merely started walking away, looking at the screen that still indicated the orange rooms and noting one that would fit to their security duty roster and was closest to all main places they used. Rodney followed after a wave and then led John through the still dark hallway since the crystal was broken after all.

Arriving back in the more populated area and greeting the soldiers at duty, John indicated Rodney’s quarters: “Grab a few things and we’ll go to the new place.”

“Really? You want to move in with me?”

“Its kinda the point of being your Guide now,” John replied and shoved him towards the door.

~*~

When he woke, the noise started to crash in loudly and Rodney tried to tune it out, totally ignoring anything in his half awake state. It didn’t seem to work because suddenly, Rodney could hear the waves outside loud as if they were amplified immensely and the shriek of birds were loud. A roar from the mainland reached his ears as well and that let Rodney panic.

He frantically tried to reign in his sense only to have the others spiking almost immediately. A soft voice and the heartbeat snapped into awareness followed by the smell of gun oil, sunshine, hair gel and gunpowder and something purely Sheppard. He opened his eyes to also focus this sense on John. 

“Rodney, calm down. Relax and try focusing on me. Don’t zone, get your dials back to normal,” John said and sat down on the bed next to Rodney.

Rodney did as he was asked and found it easy to dial down his hearing after listening to John. Sight was next and followed just as easily. Next came smell and it was down after taking a last deep breath with his Guide’s smell. He struggled then with touch. He tried over and over again to get it down but found it impossible.

“Touch,” Rodney said: “I can’t get it down…”

John seemed to frown before reaching out a hand: “Touch me.”

Rodney did. The texture of John’s calluses on his hand were easy for him to make out. The muscles and sinews felt strange but were John so Rodney memorized them. After a few more seconds of making out all kinds of scars, Rodney nodded: “Thanks. It’s down now.”

“What’s left?” John asked and knew that look on Rodney’s face.

“Taste,” Rodney blushed and actually tried to see where its range was. Apparently pretty high since he could taste the salt of the ocean in the air, which came through the filtered air directly. The sentinel rooms had separate air filters, the air coming directly from the outside. A second later and Rodney thought he could also taste the gunoil from Sheppard’s smell: “I can taste your gun oil.”

“Whoa, really?” John frowned and looked at his hands: “That is weird since I didn’t use any since yesterday after the mission.”

Rodney nodded briefly: “It will have to stay spiked until I get something to eat then.”

Without thinking, John reached for Rodney and kissed him. It was the easiest to get Rodney used to his taste. He would think later about what exactly that would mean for them.

Kissing John was amazing. The taste was of sleep and Sheppard, so unique and pure that Rodney found it in him to dial down a bit before he started to zone. 

When Rodney stopped kissing back, John pulled back and realized the zoned state. He sighed and knew that it was possible due to the new taste. It had happened: “Rodney,” he whispered and touched Rodney’s arm.

Rodney snapped back into awareness: “Oh god, I zoned again, didn’t I? I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry, McKay,” John said and sat back a bit more: “It happens and I knew it was likely with your first taste while your sense was also spiking.”

“But…you kissed me?” Rodney asked now and frowned: “Why?”

Laughing a bit, John shrugged: “I felt like it and it came over me. I thought it was the best to let you have a taste.”

“Thank you,” Rodney said sincere: “Maybe next time, I won’t zone.”

“So, have you discovered any strange abilities when waking up?” John asked and Rodney laughed with a snort: “Waking to all senses spiking belongs into that category, Major.”

“Point,” Sheppard replied and continued: “I woke up feeling your panic. I felt your senses close to spiking.”

“Okay, I guess that could have been weird,” Rodney shrugged: “So, are we going back to the SGC now that we’re awake?”

“First, we should get dressed. Second we should tell Elizabeth we’re rooming together,”

“Wait, rooming together?! Have you lost your mind, Major? What do you think she’ll do? Not to mention your military personnel?” Rodney asked hysterically before calming down and barely whispering: “Won’t your position here be in danger if something happens?”

“Yes, all things above and no, I don’t worry. Firstly, it has two rooms. Secondly, I’m your Guide first now. Thirdly, we do have this connection since I felt your panic. Elizabeth can disapprove all she wants but it won’t change anything,” John said calmly and stood to walk back to his room.

~*~

“Hey Elizabeth, you got a minute?” John asked her, stopping in her doorway with Rodney close behind him.

“Of course,” she said and indicated them to enter and the door closed behind them with a woosh. Once Rodney and John had taken a seat, she asked: “What can I do for you?”

“We wanted to inform you that we found new quarters. It has a big balcony and Rodney and I moved into the apartment.” John said and Rodney showed Elizabeth a map with their room’s location on it: “It’s closer to the transporters, has enough space for our team nights and since we’re pretty much around each other all the time, it won’t matter.”

Elizabeth folded her hands in front of her and looked at the layout of the quarter: “Do you really need the second bedroom then?”

John and Rodney both gaped at her and Rodney looked at Sheppard: “See, I told you!”

“Well, you asked what she was going to do…so far she didn’t do anything,” John said and chuckled: “Besides, if this bond is a close proximity thing, I won’t be able to be far away anyway.”

“Please, gentlemen, may I ask if you are in a relationship?” she asked with a smile: “I need to protect you.”

“Not that it would matter, but it’s nothing,…yet?” Rodney answered and shrugged: “Depends on this…”

“Bond,” John supplied and frowned again: “Breathe, Rodney and reign in your hearing. You try to listen to Zelenka yelling at Kavanagh, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I did,” Rodney nodded and took a breath: “Anyways…nothing to talk about.”

“What he said,” John indicated Rodney: “Something happened to us with an Ancient device…we’re bonded.”

“Have you been to Carson yet?” Elizabeth asked worried.

“No, not yet. The bond isn’t actually noticeable and is not designed to harm us,” John answered. 

“Then please do so as soon as we’re finished here. Could you show me the device?” Elizabeth continued. 

John shook his head in denial: “No, I am sorry. No one would be able to even access it in its room. You won’t find it and you won’t be able to enter.”

Elizabeth nodded: “Okay, I trust you on that one. Now, how is that bond working?”

John shrugged: “We’re still learning. We just woke up this morning and had it.” Rodney nodded and indicated to go ahead: “I woke up when Rodney panicked. I could feel it but I knew it would never overwhelm me or make me panic in return.”

“What else can we expect?” Elizabeth asked and broth Rodney and John frowning.

“Well, to answer that, I would like to go back to the room and ask the AIs,” John said and watched with amusement as Elizabeth’s jaw dropped open.

“AIs? Multiple?” Elizabeth asked and looked up: “Why didn’t they appear before?”

“Well, they’re basically there for us, John and me,” Rodney said and smirked: “We need to check them through but they do have access to our data already. They cannot overwrite anything and have been around for at least ten thousand years. After checking them and making sure, we could run them on enclosed environments to help us with the database and other things we may come across.”

“We can use them? Why are they restricted to that room no one has access to?”

John stepped forward: “Because they’re mainly a training and guiding AI. They indicated that they would be able to teach us deal with our abilities, which can be anything Ancient-related.”

“Anything that gives us an advantage,” Elizabeth sighed and straightened in her chair: “Okay, go visit Carson, get some people to help you move into those quarters and get those AIs. If you need time to train your abilities, you can but please radio us beforehand so we know.”

“Of course. Thank you, Elizabeth,” Rodney smiled and stood, his hand brushing against the glass table top of her desk and he pretty much zoned on sighed.

“Rodney,” Sheppard said and stepped closer, holding up his hand to McKay’s nose to let the smell penetrate his senses as well as his voice: “Come back, stop zoning on stupid things.”

“Sorry,” Rodney said and pulled himself back up: “Let’s go.”

~*~

They pretty much ignored Elizabeth’s order to go and see Carson since they had been by with Rodney’s senses regularly so they headed to their quarters, a few marines on their heels to move their stuff into their rooms.

“I still don’t know how you can be around Rodney all the time,” Aiden laughed but dutifully took a few of Sheppard’s belongings to their new place. 

Markham laughed: “I find it that I miss having someone around after spending all my adult life bunking with others. Even if it is McKay, Major Sheppard seems to have fun around him.”

Aiden nodded. He knew the real reason why Sheppard was moving in. The Major had told him about a Guide needing to stay close and it had been helpful a handful times off world.

“And no matter what, I’m still your commanding officer!” Sheppard called out: “But Markham, if you want to have Stackhouse around again, fine with me.”

The last was said quieter and only hearable for Markham: “There are a few nice rooms around that have two separate entries but joining rooms.”

Jason pretty much gaped at John: “Thanks, I’ll get a map from you later?” John nodded and helped directing Rodney’s things into Rodney’s room.

~*~

“Welcome back,” the AI Will said and greeted them with a smile: “Have you experienced any of your new abilities yet?”

“Well, if you think of me hearing things on the mainland, then yes. That was further away than the first day I woke with my senses.” Rodney replied with an edge to it and looked at a few consoles, finding what he was looking for and connecting his notebook with it.

“I am sorry to hear that,” Will replied and turned to John, waiting for an answer.

John walked over to slouch on a bench: “I felt Rodney’s panic and helped out.”

Will nodded and a console next to the screen started to show a few questions which John quickly pressed an answer to. It was like a survey and after a moment Will nodded: “Good, that’s a pretty strong connection you have there. Also relating to your Sentinel’s ability to hear someone on the mainland, is extraordinary.”

Ethan showed up then and looked at Rodney: “We need to work on controlling your senses a bit better now. Your strength in them is also related to the activation yesterday as well as the bond.”

“I thought I trained them already,” Rodney complained. 

“We monitored you spiking on a glass surface, Sentinel.” The Will-AI replied and showed another monitor: “Here are some tests John and you can try. After that we have a small VR you can try out.”

“A training VR?” John looked surprised and Rodney nodded eagerly: “Yes, we could use it to train your men.”

“You currently do not have the power,” the AI-Ethan threw in and looked at them but indicated another screen: “We have the database knowledge and you simply haven’t looked for the right key words to find how to charge and create new ZPMs.”

Rodney’s mouth dropped open: “You can do that?”

“Given time, yes. But first you need to be aware of the threat that is coming for you,” Will said: “A super storm is coming for Atlantis and the city currently has not enough power to raise the shield.”

“Great,” John sighed and produced a few hard drives for Rodney to copy the programs on to: “We need to get the power up now.”

Rodney was already thinking: “I might have an idea.”

“The grounding stations,” the AI said easily and flickered briefly while the program was copied. 

~*~

Evacuating the whole expedition was necessary and John watched the last few marines go through the gate. He had an uneasy feeling about the whole situation but Elizabeth was in charge and Rodney’s shared looks only helped slightly.

The Genii invading was a real mistake on their part. John knew through Rodney’s bond what was wrong in seconds. He tried making it back quickly but Kolya had Rodney and Elizabeth before John could do anything. John cursed and headed back to the AI running on different servers: “I need your help. I need to know about the possible Ascended gifts I could have.”

“Your Sentinel?” Will asked carefully but their processing unit already came forward with images of being invaded.

Ethan instructed: “You feel your shields? Expand them and they will tell you what to do. It is instinct for you.”

John frowned a second but then followed suit. He opened his shields wider, actually stumbling onto every mind within the city. Good, at least a way to find them. Rodney would hear him everywhere on this city, just needed to make Rodney talk to him.

The citywide com opened and John could hear what was being said. Rodney was no solider but as a Sentinel he could become feral and just as dangerous. Maybe more so.

When pain penetrated John’s bond, he knew Rodney had reached his limit in playing along with Kolya and his men. It was easy after that for Rodney to find it in him to lash out at their enemies. Being a Sentinel had gifted Rodney with some slick moves in regards to reflexes, hand-to-eye coordination and overall abilities to physically fight.

While their last encounter with the Genii hadn’t been anywhere close to a success and helpful, Rodney was now ruthless and simply protecting his tribe, his home and territory.

John was making his way through the city as well, killing one man after the other, telling Rodney every kill he had made thought he knew Rodney would know how many were left without his input. It was a means for John to keep focused and encourage his Sentinel to keep on working and biding their time. It was important that John’s mental, feral status was triggering Rodney into a feral response as well.

Rodney’s move, when it came, was a deadly blow to Kolya’s throat and a swift, adrenaline fueled move to get the weapon from the fingers to shoot the other soldiers around them that hadn’t had a fraction of a second to react.

Watching them drop to the floor was making Rodney smile viciously: “That was the last one,” he said, turned to Elizabeth and passed her the gun: “I’ll fix the grounding stations. Sheppard is close by so don’t shoot him, there are no foreign heartbeats left.”

“Thank you, Rodney,” Elizabeth smiled at him: “Good work, Sentinel.”

John approached then, looking at Rodney and fixing the shield, bringing up the shield right in time for the wave to crash on it. A second later, John realized the blood dropping to the floor from Rodney’s hand and remembered the pain and now, nothing. Frowning, John touched his Sentinel’s arm but got no response: “Rodney, dial up your touch to a dull ache for your pain.”

“And why would I do that?” Rodney asked with a frown and then looked at his hand as if remembering just now what had happened: “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. You should always feel something. If you were to zone now, how would I be supposed to pull you out quickly?” Sheppard asked and kept the part of smell or taste to himself. He needed to guilt Rodney into always keeping a sense of touch around because that was just plain dangerous to forget you were injured and needed medical attention because you were bleeding.

Rodney tilted his head in a listening manner: “Carson and Teyla are back on the city.”

~*~

After Rodney had been treated for his injuries, Elizabeth had requested Rodney and John back into her office for another talk: “I have seen you two work and I have no idea what the changes of being a Sentinel meant to you. I’m still not sure what exactly I saw today.”

Rodney sighed: “Couldn’t we talk about this tomorrow?” he then winced when moving his arms around in his usual manner was pulling on the fresh stitches: “Ow?”

John rolled his eyes and took Rodney’s hand in his, anchoring him with his sense of touch as much as keeping the hand still. He glared at Elizabeth when she was about to say something about it and interrupted her: “Rodney could hear me throughout the whole city and knew I was disabling the grounding stations while taking out the soldiers. Sadly, I had no means of hearing him until Rodney confirmed by the announcement system that you were fine. Then, my mental sense of Rodney is always present. I always know how he feels and a lack of grief over your presumed death was indicating that Kolya had bluffed. Add that I can spread out my sense of empathic ability to the whole city and feel your mind. I’ll never intrude if I can avoid it but it is enough to tell me who is around. I can also project feelings.”

Rodney became giddy and smirked: “Oh he did project calm and laziness very well. The Genii that came across him were very discouraged to engage in any activity and were not on high alert due to that. John completely caught them by surprise and as any good soldier knows, surprise is always on your side.”

John pointed a thumb at Rodney: “What he said,” then, Rodney took a tablet and passed it to Elizabeth: “While we were fighting off the Genii, I introduced the Sentinel and Guide Program of Ethan and Will into the mainframe. They’re still running on external servers but as before are able to access our records, the Ancient Database while not able to make changes themselves. The update is basically that everyone in the city can interact with them.”

“That is a good news on such a day,” Elizabeth agreed: “We currently called back the whole expedition and expect them to be back here in a few hours.”

Rodney stood before actually being dismissed but John followed not a second later so Elizabeth knew she had stretched their willingness after such a day to the limit: “Good night.”

“Night,” John replied while Rodney barely waved with his good arm.

“Mess?” Rodney asked him instead and John frowned: “No food and no personnel.”

Rodney frowned but then perked right up: “MRE’s!” he took off into the direction of their quarters and John smirked but understood that sometimes MREs were his Guide’s preferences simply because they tasted blander than the alien ingredients they found in Pegasus.

John was still eying Rodney with worry when they had settled down to sleep in the same bed. They were sharing for a few weeks now, their relationship having progressed so far shortly after the initial bond due to him feeling Rodney’s instability and need to touch him, his love and admiration as well as Rodney’s sense of smell telling him that John liked being tasted and touched all over.

He was simply surprised that Rodney wasn’t urging for a rebonding tonight. The tablet with Will activated next to John’s bend and John picked it up, dialing the volume down: “Will?”

“You are worrying over something.”

“I was surprised he didn’t need to reaffirm the bond after the invasion,” John replied, casting a glance at Rodney but it was one thing that Rodney wouldn’t be interrupted in was sleep. At least not by trivial things and as long as no heartbeat across the city was missing, speeding up or else, Rodney was down.

The hologram nodded: “The invasion of his territory along with the loss of a few members made him lash out in violence. Some Sentinels are agreeable to reaffirm their bond with their Guide but some find that they are shaken up that they don’t trust themselves not to hurt their Guides. Sleep will help settle him down and make him not feel guilty of the lives he took. He will be unable to regret those events as a means to not poison your empathic ability with doubt and guilt that you may feel directed at you and in turn take in.

“So he’ll be alright tomorrow?” John asked back. He understood the part and thought it only logic that a Sentinel wouldn’t be hindered by this.

“Yes, and be prepared for him to bond with you again,” Will said: “I took liberty to write an email to your 2ICs to let them know if you are a no show, why and not to disturb you.”

“Thank you, Will.” John then yawned: “Turning in now.”

Snuggling up close to his Sentinel, John took deep breaths and couldn’t wait for them to wake up again. All would be well soon.

~the end


End file.
